BLUECOM plus : Cost-effective Broadband Communications at Remote Ocean Areas

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2016

Authors

Campos, R (Author) Other; Oliveira, T (Author) Other; Nuno Cruz (Author) FEUP; Aníbal Castilho Coimbra de Matos (Author) FEUP; Almeida, JM (Author) Other

Conference proceedings International

Title: OCEANS 2016 - Shanghai

OCEANS 2016 - Shanghai

10 April 2016 through 13 April 2016

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 24 Citations

Scopus - 46 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-NAD

DOI: 10.1109/oceansap.2016.7485532

Abstract (EN): The ocean and the Blue Economy are increasingly top priorities worldwide. The immense ocean territory in the planet and its huge associated economical potential is envisioned to increase the activity at the ocean in the forthcoming years. The support of these activities, and the convergence to the Internet of Things paradigm, will demand wireless and mobile communications to connect humans and systems at remote ocean areas. Currently, there is no communications solution enabling cost-effective broadband Internet access at remote ocean areas in alternative to expensive, narrowband satellite communications. This paper presents the maritime communications solution being developed in the BLUECOM+ project. The BLUECOM+ solution enables cost-effective broadband Internet access at remote ocean areas using standard wireless access technologies, e.g., GPRS/UMTS/LTE and Wi-Fi. Its novelty lies on the joint use of TV white spaces for long range radio communications, tethered balloons for lifting communications nodes high above the ocean surface, multi-hop relaying techniques for radio range extension, and standard access networks at the ocean. Simulation results prove it is possible to reach radio ranges beyond 100 km and bitrates in excess of 3 Mbit/s using a two-hop land-sea communications chain.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6